Cork has been used for mounting orchids and bromeliads for years. Tillandsia airplants grow best when attached to cork bark. The uneven surface is perfect for finding just the right spot to attach them to. They will quickly root and become permanent. ​​I just returned from tens days in Portugal and spent several days in Alentejo, walking in some old cork oak forests. ​Alentejo is in south central Portugal and is where the majority of the cork trees are farmed.

Most of the farms have been operated by the same owners for many generations. They tend to stay in the family, as it takes 43 years for the first viable crop of cork to be harvested.

Once the tree is planted, the first harvest is twenty five years later. This first harvest is the “virgin cork”, the same type that is used for mounting plants. The bark is thick, rough and uneven. The bark is then harvested every nine years. The second harvest is less rough, but not acceptable for cork stoppers. This harvest is ground up and used for other production such as flooring. It is not until the third harvest, (the tree is now 43 years old) that the cork quality is the type that can be used for making cork stoppers.

Other Cork Facts:

The Greeks were the first to discover that cork could be harvested and would regrow a finer quality of cork.

Portugal produces 55% of the world’s cork production.

Mature Cork trees (Quercus suber) can reach a height of 75' tall and will live for 150-200 years.

The average harvest will produce cork stoppers for 4000 bottles.

The oldest tree, The Whistler (named for the numerous songbirds that occupy it’s canopy) is estimated to be 230 years old. When harvested in 2000, it produced enough cork for 100,000 bottles.

Once the cork is harvested, it is dried for several months, then boiled and steamed to kill any insects or pests and to make it more pliable.

Cork oak trees store carbon to regenerate their bark. Trees that have been harvested will store five times more carbon.

Get ready to change the labels on many of your plants, but don't remove the old name. You never know when that name may be resurrected.

An ongoing study of Bromeliaceae, by a group of cooperating scientists, has lead to proposed new reclassifications for subfamily Tillandsiodeae. Using DNA sequencing, in combination with morphological characteristics, they determine which species have common ancestors. The authors are proposing further taxonomic splits to a number of genera to form monophyletic classifications.

Herb Plever, Editor of Bromeliana, has done an excellent job explaining all these changes. For more in-depth (and scientific) explanation, see Herb Plever's original article here in Bromeliana newsletter.

This year, the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), concluded its 17th Conference on October 4th 2016, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The CoP meets every two to three years to review the implementation of the Convention. During the two-week conference species are added or removed from Appendix listings. In 2013, three Tillandsia species were removed from CITES. ​

At this year's meeting, some of the notable animals added to Appendix I (which are the species considered most endangered), include the African Grey Parrot, all eight species of Pangolin (often called a scaly anteater), and Barbary Macaques. A few of the species added to Appendix II (which are species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may becomed so unless trade is closely controlled) were Silky Sharks, Thresher Sharks and Mobula Rays.

In the plant world, Madagascar's Grandidier's baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) became the first species of giant trees to be listed under Appendix II, which allows trade, but under stringent regulations. All 300 species of rosewood and palisander trees, which are being devastated by the timber trade, were also listed this year on Appendix II.

Of the four species of Tillandsia remaining on Appendix II, Tillandsia mauryana was accepted for removal from Appendix II. Although this species is limited in population, the majority of them are found only in the Metztitlán Gully Biosphere Reserve in Hidalgo, Mexico. The area's management program contains specific actions for the protection of this species and it was proposed that removal from Appendix II would not stimulate trade in wild collection specimens. The full document can be viewed here.(Interesting for me to read the document, and notice one of my images, without proper credit. The image of T. atroviridepetala, is my image, actually a slide. Another reason to watermark your images).

​It should take ninety days (from Oct. 4) to be finalized, and Tillandsia mauryana will be removed from Appendix II. The three remaining Tillandsia species listed in Appendix II are Tillandsia harrisii, T. kammii and T. xerographica.

For more information about all the decisions visit the CITES CoP 17 website.

]]>Fri, 08 Jan 2016 08:00:00 GMThttp://blog.birdrocktropicals.com/tillandsia-journal/classification-of-plantsHave you ever wondered how and why plants are named? I stumbled upon this BBC Series - A Botany A Blooming History. This series "tells the story of how people came to understand the natural order of the plant world". This quest to discover how plants grow uncovered the secret life of plants on our planet.

Part I of this series explains classification which is based on morphology and reproductive biology, and has existed for more than 300 years. All this is changing as a result of DNA sequencing. This video not only explains the history of traditional classification but also shows how DNA sequencing is explaining plant relationships.

You will be surprised at how easy it is to use and at the quality of the images. The best part is that it is very inexpensive and you can easily carry it so it is always with you.

Easy Macro has a new KickStarter project. They are going to expand their line. Currently they offer only one lens, 4x. They will be creating a 2x and 10x magnification lens. I like the product so much that I am a backer. If you want to get one now, use my link to order yours. It makes a great stocking stuffer. Check out their KickStarter project here.(FYI, Affiliate links in this post)

I love taking photos! I don't always have my Canon and all my lenses with me, but I do have my iPhone. The quality of images from the new iPhone 6 is much better than my previous iPhone 5s, which was pretty darn good. Certainly good enough for the web.

I recently discovered a little gadget for taking close up images. It works with any mobile device, phone or tablet and makes it quick and easy to take a close up image of your flowers. The iPhone 6 has digital stabilization which means you don't need a tripod to get these shots. The gadget is basically a rubber band with an optical magnifying glass built into it. It is called Easy Macro. It is small enough to carry in your pocket or wallet and as you can see above it does a great job.

I have been playing with this for about a month now and here are my suggestions for using this device with an iPhone 6:

Slip the rubber band over your iPhone and make sure the lens completely covers the iPhone camera lens.

Hold the camera as close to your flower as you can, then slightly back off until the flower is in focus.

Press and hold the the button down, this will trigger the iPhone 'Burst Mode', which will take 10 photos per second. This will ensure that some of the images will be clear and not blurry caused by hand movement.

Review your images, select the good ones, and choose to delete the others.

]]>Fri, 29 Aug 2014 20:50:37 GMThttp://blog.birdrocktropicals.com/tillandsia-journal/watering-during-a-droughtThis Summer has been one of the hottest yet! And to top it off in California we are experiencing our longest drought. Sprinklers are reduced to 10 minutes per station, only 3 days per week. All the lawns are starting to turn brown. At the nursery we can continue to water, as we have always done our watering by hand and that is not restricted.

We always use, and recommend using, the Fogg-It Nozzles. They are available in 1, 2, and 4 gallons per minute. We use the 2 GMP on seedlings and the 4 GMP on everything else. The nozzles produce a heavy spray that feels like it's raining, which makes your tillandsias happy too! They also add additional moisture in the air, which is beneficial during periods of low humidity. And these nozzles work great for watering large clumps and balls. They have enough pressure to get the ball spinning so you are able to water all plants and all sides quite easily.

During the long Summer days, I recommend watering either very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon, just before sunset. This allows the moisture to settle on the leaves for a longer period of time, thus allowing the water to pass into the leaf tissue. If you water midday you are wasting water and time, as the plants will dry off long before any of the water has been absorbed.

If you are growing under shade cloth, one trick you can do on extremely hot days is wet the shade cloth as you are watering. This will cool the temperature of the air as it is passing through the shade cloth, almost as if you have turned on an air conditioner.

Here are two short video showing how the Fogg-It nozzle "rains" on your plants.

Summer is a great time to have some fun photographing all the different flowers of your bromeliads. I took these photos today during the "golden hour" when the light is perfect. Using other plants as the background I let the natural light highlight the blur and create something different. With all the different shapes and colors of the bromeliad flowers you can really be creative. Practice doing this, all in camera, no tripod, flash or post processing. Can you recognize and name these flowers?

Tree gardening is an easy way to create a micro climate for your tillandsia collection. If you live in a zone that will allow you to grow your tillandsias outside all year, then this may be for you. This tree garden was created in Goleta, California by Ted Umbour. He attached each tillandsia to a piece of cork bark and then secured the cork to the Jacaranda tree. Cork makes a perfect host for most all tillandsias. Cork is not prone to fungus and retains just enough moisture to encourage root growth. No need to use any moss with the mounting, as that would keep the base of the plant too wet.

The tillandsias are secured to the cork with a double strand of 20 gauge coated steel wire. The wire is wrapped around the base of the plant and then twisted together on the back of the cork. You will need to drill two holes in the cork to get the wire to the other side. Twist and tighten the wire so the plant is held firmly. Be careful that you do not damage the plant when tightening the wire. Once attached to the tree the tillandsias are easy to water with a hose. All the moisture that the tillandsia receive will add to the humidity in tree canopy. The added benefit is that the plants will get plenty of dappled light and air movement, just as they would in their natural habitat. Your tree garden will do better with more plants than with fewer.

Nizanda, Oaxaca is located in the Isthumus of Tehuantepec. It is primarily a tropical dry forest with some unusual limestone outcroppings. It is known for it's hot springs, caves and diverse plant populations. Several species are unique to this area and bear the locality name - Encyclia nizandensis, Agave nizandensis, Anthurium nizandensis and the not yet published Tillandsia nizandensis. Other plants in Nizanda are Ficus petiolaris, Ficus pertusa, Ficus ovals, Beucarnea sp., Busera excel, Plumeria rubra, Hechtia isthmusiana, Tillandsia concolor, T. ionantha, T. makoyana, T. schiedeana and T. caput medusae to name a few.

I had the opportunity to visit for the first time in January with my friend Andy Siekkinen, owner of Eagle Eye Adventures. His company offers cultural and botanical excursions to Mexico. I met up with him after one of his tours, and we collaborated on some field research. This interesting area is one of several protected biological zones in Mexico. Several surveys of the plants and animals have been published noting the importance of this region. It is truly a botanical oasis in the middle of a tropical dry forest. Difficult to appreciate the beauty from photos alone. Here is a video which not only shows the diversity of plants on this limestone outcropping but you can also hear the wind! And you have to be really careful here as the wind gusts are strong and if your footing is not careful you will be blown onto a sharp chard of limestone or worse yet a spiny Cactus or Hechtia.

Of the several bulbous tillandsia speceis, T. seleriana is more widespread and variable than others. It is often called an ant plant. Myrmecophytes (ant plants) are species that provide shelter for the ants that colonize their bulbous shape and can also add some nutritional benefit to the plant. Don't be surprised if you find that ants have invaded your T. seleriana.

The published description of Tillandsia seleriana shows it's distribution to be native to Michoacan and Chiapas, Mexico and extending to Honduras. I have actually seen this species as far north as Nayarit, outside of the city of Tepic. T. seleriana also grows in the states of Jalisco and Oaxaca. With such a wide range, there is some variability in the size and shape of this species, as well as the occasional natural hybrid. A smaller form , will bloom at 12 cm while a much larger form can reach 30 to 40 cm. Both forms have the fat bulbous base and produce a rose-pink bloom spike with violet flowers. The entire plant is lepidote (covered with scales or scurf). It is usually found growing in Pine and Oak forests. It is fun to see in habitat as it appears like an abnormal growth on the sides of it's host trees. Enjoy this walk in a T. seleriana forest in Chiapas!